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1.26.2015

Pregnancy Essentials

Hey friends! I'm nearing the end of this pregnancy (39 weeks!) and thought it would be a great idea to let you in on some pregnancy products I've loved having.

A good bra. In case you weren't aware of this, your bra size can change a whole lot through pregnancy & after you have the baby. It's crazy! And because you have an expanding uterus, normal underwire bras can end up being extremely uncomfortable in the later pregnancy stages. Bravado Designs sent me their Body Silk Seamless bra to help me be more comfortable through this pregnancy, and it's been amaaaazing! I actually had this exact bra for nursing my first little one a couple years ago and I wore that thing every.single.day. I wore the crap out of it and was soooo glad to be getting another one! I hadn't worn it during pregnancy before, but now I'm wondering how I survived without it! I highly recommend this bra for pregnancy & nursing. I will advise that you wait until you third trimester to purchase so that you size will be more accurate and can fit you when you're nursing as well. The sizes are pretty generous though, you can find your size HERE!

Maternity Leggings. They are basically are the best thing EVER. I tried wearing my regular leggings until I felt they were too tight, and I switched to the maternity version. Best decision ever! I have a pair of full paneled maternity leggings from Old Navy that were $6 and I can safely say I've gotten my money's worth with how much I wear them. I also have a pair of fleece lined maternity leggings from Pink Blush Maternity that have saved me over and over this winter. They are comfy, warm, and fit my ever-expanding body!

Heartburn Relief. I have experienced some crazy heartburn with both of my pregnancies and really needed something to relieve that discomfort. The first time around I pretty much just ate Tums like candy... just ask any of my former coworkers! I always had one of those in my mouth. This time, my doctor recommended taking over the counter Prilosec (I opted for the cheaper generic version) and it's been soooo much better this time! I pretty much never have heartburn, unless I forget to take my daily pill. I recommend having Tums on hand still though, for more immediate relief. Also, make sure to talk to your doctor before going on any sort of pill regimen during pregnancy!

Clothes that make you feel pretty. Every girl I know has dealt with some sort of body image issues, but I swear it's even harder to avoid when you're pregnant and your body/weight is kinda out of whack. Sometimes I feel like I love my pregnant body and it's so amazing looking with that baby bump... but probably more often I just feel giant and bloated and not super cute. To remedy this, I made sure to have a few maternity pieces of clothing that I liked how I looked in. I really love this Madeleine Maternity dress (I got the short sleeve version on Zulily for $45... score!) and it hugs all the right curves! I also have some great fitting maternity jeans that make me feel good and it makes all the difference.

Lounge wear. And on the flip side of the fashion coin... it's nice to have clothes that you can just lounge around in. Of course husband's t-shirts and basketball shorts are always an option, but I've also like having "cute" lounge wear. Gap Maternity has some great lounge wear from their GapBody line, but I like to wait for a good sale before getting my clothing there. They have 40% off sales pretty frequently and on top of finding pieces on clearance I can get a great deal! I've loved this long sleeved top and these pants.

A good tank top. It's a staple in my wardrobe, pregnant or not! But it's definitely nice to have some that will fit the ever-expanding belly. Bravado Designs also set me one of their awesome Essential Nursing tanks and I've loved it! Because built-in bras are pretty fab when they actually fit. I'm on the larger side chest-wise and most built-in-bra tanks I've tried have me spilling out all over the place. No thanks. But the Essential tank has actual cup sizes! It fits me great in the chest area and fits the bump too! I'll report on how it does nursing wise once I've used it in that capacity, but I expect it to work just great.
I've also loved these tanks from Motherhood Maternity and here's a secret... I discovered them during my first pregnancy and I haven't stopped wearing them since. So yes, I wear maternity tanks under clothes even when I'm not pregnant! They're nice and stretchy and fit me well with a bump or without. I have one in white and black!